Martha Stewart Living...Dead

Got an invite to a costume/birthday party - which is very exciting since I'm rarely invited to such events.  Couldn't figure out how or what to transform myself into until TwinB suggested the Martha Stewart Living Dead angle. 
So, I came; I costumed; I had a crazy good time!

Fresh From the Kitchen Table!

Four Kitimat scenes ready to go just in time for Christmas.  Don't know if the bus stop will sell...just might give it to My Boy since he has none of my paintings and nothing says 'Kitimat' like the vignette above!
Shouldn't have too much trouble unloading the Mount Elizabeths or the Channel view. 
I really surprised myself when these 4 suddenly finished themselves!

(((Bonk)))) ((((Thunk))) (((Bonk)))

  We installed brand new, energy efficient and very reflective windows last Fall and as a result, that's the sound of little bird bodies hitting the livingroom window approximately every 5 minutes.
We'd gotten used to the ocassional collision during the last 2 weeks of every October as flocks of robins and varied thrushes swarm the mountain ash tree and devour every last fermenting berry till all that remained were hundreds of empty stems.  With the old windows, impacts were far less frequent but usually serious or fatal; the unlucky bird often transformed into a mess of puke, crap and feathers then sliding with the whole mess down the glass to land in the garden.  (to the delight of neighborhood cats)
     I had a private lesson yesterday afternoon and it was getting pretty embarrassing as I and my student involuntarily flinched each time a bird hit the window.  "Is there going to be a pile of little bodies when I leave here?"
We go look at - and out - the window.  There are a few splats and feathers but no corpses.  A robin flies straight towards our faces then bounces off and frantically flies in a different direction.  It seems these windows are far more forgiving.
     Later, I head to the Dollar Store to pick up some blue place mats and masking tape.  When I return home I tape a series of place mats over the window. 
It isn't pretty but at least it's reduced the carnage to about 3 hits per hour.

A Mighty Wind

This was the storm of 10/10/10.  Wasn't too bad in Kitimat where the wind sustained 70 kmh with gusts up to 100 kmh, though the power was out for several hours.  Prince Rupert saw gusts between 140 and 167 kmh, so they ended up with considerable damage.  Trees, trucks, trailors and sundry were blown over or tossed around. The rain has eased off a bit now but over the previous 3 or 4 days we've had over 150 mm of rain.  (also known as 6")
I think we've made up for the dry summer.

That?...

...is some grizzly shit

I'm basing this on: 

A. the size, seeing as it's as large as a horse crap

B.  the form - carnivorous

C.  we have 2 families of grizzlies wandering the town

I took advantage of the perfect light this morning to take about 50 photos around Kildala neighborhood.  I did have a bit of concern about these beasts in the back of the mind until I came upon two mounds of these sitting in the middle of the sidewalk.  (Do bears shit in the woods?? Oh, don't even get me started!! NO!)

The concern was suddenly nudged to an area more in the front of my brain, so I was a bit more aware of my surroundings for the rest of the walk.

A good buddy phoned me this afternoon to tell me about her close encounter with FOUR grizzlies.  Yesterday evening, her yard was visited by the Mama Bear and 3 second year cubs.  This is one successful mama because not only did the three survive, she's got them to the size of an average adult black bear.  

And they were silent.  BuddyGal said that they carefully picked their way over pots and planters never making a sound.  Compare this to black bears who have a tendency to walk through anything and often make quite a racket.  I mentioned all this to TwinB who commented "sounds like they might have been hunting"   : 0

Mama bear makes her way to the deck and then pressed her face against the sliding glass doors which, thankfully don't give way.  A few minutes later she rises up on her hind legs and makes eye contact with BuddyGal's husband watching from a bedroom window.   Kind of gave him some willies.

Of course they didn't get photos what with frantically worrying about whether or not the bear would break in.  Today, though they're getting more used to the idea and he was planning on sitting on the roof to take a photo if they visit again.

Sure wouldn't catch me doing that...okay...maybe from a 2 storey roof.

So Long, Joe

Joe - a long time member of our Art Club died at the age of 72 last May which is the end of our yearly season so even though we visited the family, attended the funeral...it didn't hit as hard as the first meeting of the year.  Hard to process that empty spot across the classroom from me and I know the Craft Fair won't feel right without him standing by a table of his paintings at the end of the Activity Room in his 'Bavarian Suit' (it's like an business suit but with subtle embellishments that are definitely Alpen)  He painted one size and one size only!  Had to fit a 16" X 20" frame from Opus.  We would tease him about his frugality but we knew we could always count on his direct and honest approach to life along with his quiet humour.
He didn't take up painting till he retired but became one of the most active members of our group. 
This Kitimite got his 3 score and 10 - but he still leaves a significant hole.

Spoken word evening in Km@

Two months ago I finally attended my first evar! Spoken Word/Slam event in Calgary.  I'd only experienced Spoken Word/Slam poetry on cbc radio so  it was an inspiration to witness the process in person.  Sherri D Wilson was a wonderful host and I (and TwinB) enjoyed the performers and whole environment.  (But - My goodness...from the amount of smokes we bummed out could we ever tell we were in the presence of young, starving artists!)  I couldn't help but notice that I have heard comparable material and presenters in our lil' old  corner of the world so resolved to put together a similar event at the earliest and most opportune time here, so, seeing that 'Culture Days' were upon us this weekend - Sept. 24 to 26 - I  arranged to hold an Open Mic/Spoken Word evening.
Here's what we got:...old fellas Storytelling, and young gals angsting - in very subtle and subversive ways - and older broads reading a variety of poignant material.  We also were treated to a work in progress for young readers and a synopsis of a story I'd heard a couple of years back by a younger male writer.  The crowd loved his punch line/spoiler and I hope that this composition will eventually see it's full development into a completed story.
The fella featured in this photo-  (A well known local thespian - the reader should be wary of these creatures) was asked by my co-conspirator to read something - anything but Robert Service -  and even though he had to help his son retrieve a boat from the bottom of Minette Bay, arrived to sing his own little dittty based on 'If I Were A Rich Man' describing what he'd do 'If He Won The Lotto'.  It was very humourously delivered.
It was a great evening and everyone is looking forward to another.